Closure device for collapsible tubes and other containers



Sept. 14, 1937. E. B. FERNBERG 2,092,964

CLQSURE DEVICE FOR CQLLAPSIBLE TUBES AND OTHER CONIAINEES Filed Oct. 24,1936 17.1 7 I12 y 22 zz a9 17 r a7 4& 2a

J1 J6 J2 1/ J6 IN VEN TOR ER1CB1RQERERNBERQ w ATTORNE Patented Sept-1937 I 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOSURE DEVICE FOR COLLAPSIBLETUBES AND OTHER CONTAINERS Eric Birger Fernberg, Pinner, EnglandApplication October 24, 1936, Serial No. 107,307 In Great Britain May22,1936

3 Claims. (01. 221-60) This invention relates to a closure device,stopher may comprise the formation of similarly per or cap, forcontainers and is adapted particuformed but slotted lugs on thecontainer, pins or larly to containers of the kind known as 001- rivetspassing through the free ends of the springs lapsible tubes employed fortooth paste, shaving into the said slots and being retained therein by 5cream and other creams, but is also applicable forcing or squeezing themetal of the container 5- to bottles, tins and so forth. The object ofthe over the slots to grip firmly said pins or rivets.

invention is to provide such a closure member or In cases where theclosure device or stopper stopper which is cheap, secure and readilydeis to be used with collapsible tubes of standard tachable. type i. e.those which have screw threaded noz- According to the present invention.a closure zles for a screw-on cap, the closure device of this 10 member,for containers of the kind described cominvention may be modified tosuit the different prises a closure member proper, stopper or capconstruction. secured to, or co-operating with, a spring member Forexample, a tube may be closed by the usual arranged to hold the closuremember firmly in screw cap when it is manufactured or sold origplacewhen in closed position and to be actuated inally, and when the tube isready for retail sale, 15 to permit the ready removal of, or itself toremove the original screw cap may be discarded and a. and replace theclosure member, stopper or cap. screwed member formed as a unit with thespring The spring member is preferably attached perand closure capproper may be fitted in place manently to the closure member and is soformed of the discarded cap. The spring member for as to hold it underpressure when in closed posiholding the closure device in position in asimilar 20 tion. manner to that described above may be attached In caseswhere the collapsible tube is manuto the screwed member by insertion ofthe legs factured particularly to be fitted with the stopper thereof inholes formed in enlarged portions at or closure device of thisinvention, the spring the base of the screwed member, the ends of themember may be of fiat spring steel or of wire legs being turned over tohold the spring and to 25 coiled into a coiled spring along portions ofits serve as an axis for rotation of the spring and length, and bowed toembrace the container neck closure device or cap. or nozzle, beingpreferably pivoted at its ends to Another method of securing the legs ofthe the container and in closed position looping spring may be to passthem into grooves cut in 0 around the container neck or nozzle. If thethe enlarged base of the screw cap and to anchor spring member is in theform of a wire as dethem therein pivotally by pins passing throughscribed above, it may be attached firmly to the the cap at right anglesto the legs of the spring. l

container and forced against the tension of its In a furthermodification, adaptable for use coiled spring portions to remove theclosure with a tube having a screwed or plain nozzle'or member from itsclosed position. neck, a cylindrical sleeve is forced over the neck 35The spring member is formed in a bow so to fit it snugly andtightly, thesleeve being formed that pressure on its limbs lifts the closure memwitha flared bottom bearing against the shaped ber proper from its closedposition whereupon it upper portion of the tube and serving as a stopmay be moved, by swinging the spring member for the spring when it ispushed downwards.

40 about its pivots to one side or the other of the Tongues are punchedout of the sleeve, diamet- 40 container to expose the outlet or nozzleso that rically opposite each other, and turned over to the contents maybe extracted. serve as pivots for the legs of the spring, which Ifdesired, the closure member may be in the carries the closure device orcap as described form of a screw cap pivotally mounted on the above. Thespring in this case, which is prefspring member which then serves as aretainer erably of fiat strips, will be formed with an aper- 45 for thecap. The stopper or cap may be provided ture through which the turneddown tongues with a known type of cork or like washer. pass, to permitof free rotation of the spring and The method of mounting the springmember on cap. the container may comprise the formation of lugs Thesleeve may, if desired, be staked to the neck on the container duringits production, said lugs of the tube. 50 being recessed to receiveinturned ends of the The invention is illustrated by way of example,

spring member, the tension of the spring member in the accompanyingdrawing, of which Figures being such that said inturned ends tend con- 1to 6 are cross-sections through the neck porstantly to be urged intosaid recesses. tion of a collapsible tube (shown broken away) Anothermethod of mounting the spring memof several modifications and Figure 7is a per- 55 spective view of the sleeve shown in Figures 5 and 6.

The collapsible tube is designated throughout all the figures by thenumeral l I.

In Figure 1 the collapsible tube H is formed with a plain neck portionl2, the nozzle l3 being closed by a cap l4 carrying a cork or likewasher I5. The cap I4 isriveted at IE to the bowed spring H, in the formof fiat strip spring steel, the ends of which pass into arcuate slots l8cut into the enlarged portion IQ of the tube, and are retained in saidslots by means of pins 20, driven through the portion I9, or passingthrough holes formed therein, at right angles to the slots 18.

According to Figure 2, the cap 2| is riveted at 22 to the wire spring23, formed along each leg 24, with coils 25 providing the requiredresiliency, the ends of the spring 23 being turned inwardly at 26 toengage and pivot in the enlarged portion 21 of the neck 12.

In Figure 3 is shown a modification, in which the tube is arranged to besold with the normal screw-cap (notshown) the neck portion 3| of thetube ll being screwed as at 32. The normal screw cap is replaced by thescrew cap 33 of this invention, it includes an enlarged portion 34arranged to seat on the upper end of the tube I l, a neck portion 35,screwed internally as at 36. The cap 31, riveted to the bowed spring 38,seats on the upper surface of the auxiliary cap 33 to close the nozzle39 in alignment with the nozzle 40 ofthe tube. The ends of the bowedspring 38 pass through slots 4! in the enlarged portion 34 of theauxiliary cap, and are formed with out-turned feet 42, engaging in thecutaway portions 43 of the cap, to permit a swinging movement of thespring and cap to disclose the nozzle 39.

Figure 4 is a modification of Figure 3 showing another method ofattaching the bowed spring 38.to the enlarged portion 34 of theauxiliary cap 33. The cap is formed with two raised portions 44, slottedat 45 for the reception of the ends of the spring 38 and formed withholes for the reception of pins 46 passing through the ends of thespring at right angles to the slots 45 to retain said spring.

In Figure 5 is shown a tube ll having a plain neck 5|, over which isfitted tightly a sleeve 52 (shown also in Figure '7). Diametricallyopposed lugs 53 are punched out from the sleeve to serve as p'ivots andretaining means for the ends of the bowed spring 54 carrying the cap 55as in previous figures. The bottom of the sleeve 52 is flared, as at 56to seat on the upper sloped surface of the tube ll. Likewise in Figure6, which shows a similar arrangement to that of Figure 5, but in thiscase the tube H is provided with the normal type of screwed neck 51.

It should be understood that, although the foregoing description dealsparticularly with collapsible tubes, such for example as tooth-paste andshaving cream tubes, the invention is not limited thereto.

By means of the foregoing it will be clear that a simple and cheapclosure member, stopper or cap, is provided for containers of thecallapsible tube type and the like, whilst the invention is alsoapplicable to containers generally. The 010- sure member is removed andreplaced with great ease without the possibility of losing the stopperor cap and when in closed position the tube or the like is sealedsecurely whilst the arrangement described does not increase the costs ofmanufacture.

I claim:

1. A closure device for containers of the kind described comprising amember adapted to be screwed to the neck portion of the container andformed with a flared base to bear against the container, lugs on saidmember, a cap and retaining means to which the cap is secured, saidretaining means being anchored pivotally to the lugs on said member.

2. A closure device for collapsible tubes formed with shoulder and neck,portions comprising a member adapted to be screwed to said neck portionand having an undercut flared base adapted to abut against the. shoulderof the tube, and a cap riveted to retaining means such as a bowedspring, the ends of said bowed spring passing through arcuate slotsformer in the flared base and provided with outwardly directed feetengaging in the undercut recess of said base.

3. A closure device for callapsible tubes formed with shoulder and neckportions comprising a member adapted tobe screwed to the neck portionand having a flared base adapted to abut against the shoulder of thetube, said base being formed with diametrically opposed upstanding lugs,a cap and retaining means therefor in the form of a bowed spring towhich said cap is riveted, the ends of said bowed spring beingsecuredpivotally to the lugs of the flared base.

ERIC BIRGER FERNBERG.

